


The Devil and the Lion

by amberhan



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Development, Confessions, Drowning, Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Feels, Hannigram - Freeform, M/M, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 20:24:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10861428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amberhan/pseuds/amberhan
Summary: What happened in the cliff house while Will and Hannibal were there, waiting for the Great Red Dragon? What did they say to each other? What did they show to each other? What did theyfeelfor each other?And after their mortal jump? Did they survive? How?Many questions remain unanswered for everyone looking for these two men, but one thing is clear... wherever they are now, dead or alive... they're together.





	The Devil and the Lion

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, welcome!  
> Well, while I'm battling against my mind block for my other fics... I wrote this oneshot here.  
> I hope you like it! xD
> 
> (English is not my first language, I'm sorry for probable mistakes and this fic is not beta'ed)
> 
> Enjoy! ;D

THE DEVIL AND THE LION

 

-x-

 

          At that moment, Will Graham knew he had changed. It wasn't as if he had changed all of a sudden... of course not. But it had been something he'd longed for a long time. Since he'd met Hannibal Lecter to be more exact.

          At first, he did not even know he longed for it... but then, after everything that happened between them, Will realized that it was something supposed to happen to him after all, sooner or later, one way or another. Hannibal certainly had planted this seed in his mind that shouldn't be there... but would bring what was supposed to come out of it. This seed was carefully fertilized, watered, cultivated by Hannibal patiently... and then it created its own roots. Will allowed this seed to root in him, feed on him, and in return, it would grant him his becoming. Consciously or unconsciously, under Hannibal's influence or not, Will was preparing the ground for his revelation. Hobbs... Randall Tier... and now Dolarhyde... it all came down to this moment... the moment _the lamb would become a lion_.

          And there he was now. The Lion wrapped in the Devil's arms... the Devil who gave him this _opportunity_. Will obviously had not asked for this, for any of this, but he finally understood why Hannibal gave him all this anyway. It was because Hannibal acted like God. He was not a God, but he played being him. Not because Hannibal was devoted to him... on the contrary... it was because this _defied_ God. And there was nothing more amusing than defying God for him.

          Will was like a thirsty child lost in a desert, looking desperatly for water... and what would God do in that situation? He would help him, of course. And that's exactly what Hannibal did. At least in his perspective. He saw a man trapped in his own mind, confined in an endless nightmare, having to contain all his magnificence so as to not shake his and other's morals. He saw the great Will Graham that Will could be... he saw his _radiance_. It would be negligent not to do something... it would be negligent to abandon him... it would be negligent to not make him _become_.

          There, in _God's_ arms, Will closed his eyes and let the new blood that was beginning to flow in his veins, flow through his body, letting his mind accept to leave all his old life behind... and give way to the _new_ Will Graham.

          When he opened his eyes, the world was no longer the same. It still had the same colors, the same smells, the same sounds, the blood still looked black in the moonlight... but now everything seemed to be unique. Even death. Especially death. Every sound, every scent, every shade of color seemed to be a brushstroke of a beautiful painting. Will couldn't hold back the tears, he was feeling so alive and complete... Tears streamed from his eyes as he genuinely felt how beautiful the world was.

          He could stay there forever, in Hannibal's arms, both staring at that painting together. Though Jack would be there soon. _Jack_ , Will remembered. He remembered what Jack told him and Alana... that they would kill Hannibal after Dolarhyde died. So, if they stayed there, Jack would kill Hannibal. If they fled, Jack would reach them and kill Hannibal. Each scenario seemed to have only one final... Hannibal dead. If that was the only ending... there would be no more reason to live... not now that Will finally saw the world as Hannibal did. What would be the point of living in this new world without him? Will would be changed, but he would be completely alone. Just like he was before Hannibal... and Hannibal was before Will. Will knew that after all this, after _seeing it_ , he would never be able to return to who he was once... ever. The only way, if Hannibal had to die... would be dying with him. And the cliff seemed to be the only way out. Death seemed to be the only way out.

          Will wrapped Hannibal in his arms in a tender embrace, letting all those new feelings flow as he pulled them both toward the sea. Will threw them both off the cliff... to _save_ them.

          The cold water hit them like a cannonball. They sank tens of meters below the surface in seconds... going deeper and deeper. At that point, Will didn't know whether Hannibal was alive or dead, but he continued to hold him, never letting him go. His natural instincts soon betrayed him. His lungs soon began to burn and beg for air, and he soon began to swim toward the surface, bringing Hannibal with him. The moonlight led him to the surface and he caught up with it. Will took a deep breath, through his mouth, desperately searching for air, realizing at that moment, that this was his first breath like a _reborn man_. He then lifted Hannibal so he could breathe too, but the Lithuanian didn't react. He was unconscious. Will tried to revive him, shaking him and calling out his name, but Hannibal looked just like a dead body. He was not breathing.

          "No... no no no, please... don't do this to me, Hannibal... please..."

          A painful desperation gripped Will at that moment. He almost started to freak out but then he did the only thing that came to his mind. He started to swim... as fast as he could, toward the part behind the house in the cliff, skirting the island, as if he knew exactly where to go...

 

-x-

 

-FLASHBACK-

          "The bluff is eroding. There was more land when I was here with Abigail. More land still when I was here with Miriam Lass."

          "Now you're here with me."

          "And the bluff is still eroding. You and I are suspended over the roiling Atlantic. Soon all of this will be lost to the sea."

          Will continued to look out to the sea as Hannibal entered the house. He sighed, wondering what did he expect from all this?

          "What are your plans after all of this is over?" - Will asked, following Hannibal into the house, acting as if he didn't know Jack intended to kill Hannibal.

          "I pictured a lot of scenarios... none of them includes going back to prison... but if that's the case, at least I'll get my books back." - Hannibal said as he pulled out the plastic covering the furniture.

          Will stared at Hannibal for a while, wondering whether or not to tell him that Jack would not take him to a bigger prison... but that he was actually going to execute him. And that was not even from FBI orders. The FBI was not really aware of this, just Will, Jack and Alana. The three conspirators to defeat the Red Dragon... and Hannibal. But when Will imagined this scenario, of Hannibal dying unworthily in Jack's hands... this caused him a slight squeeze in his chest, slightly painful.

          "You can die tonight." - Will warned, trying to say something, but at the same time trying to hide. Maybe Hannibal somehow suspected that Jack was going to kill him, or at least imagined he would want it, but Will said nothing.

          "I know." - Hannibal picked up all the plastics and paused, glancing briefly at Will. - "You too."

          Will looked at Hannibal for a few seconds and then decided to tell.

          "If you don't die with the Dragon... Jack intends to kill you."

          Hannibal didn't look surprised, he just stood there looking at Will.

          "FBI orders?"

          "No. They're not aware of this... that's... personal."

          Despite the situation, Hannibal gave a sligh smile with the corner of his mouth at the sound of it, as if he had been slightly amused by it.

          "Even if I'm in a place like that, for insanes... killing someone who thinks he deserves to die just because he thinks that... it's antiethical."

          Will averted his eyes, looking at the decor of the house.

          "He has good reasons."

          "Just like you."

          Will stopped and looked back at Hannibal.

          "I _had_ good reasons, we've already passed that."

          "Yes, we have, but if you still had a chance, Will... would you kill me?"

          "Killing you wouldn't bring me any peace..." - Said the profiler, thoughtfully, as he looked at Hannibal. - "You would still continue to torment me in my dreams and nightmares. We have reached a point where... killing each other would be irrelevant. We overcame betrayal... forgiveness... all the things that could guide you to death, but we never fullfilled with that. Now that we're 0 to 0 again... there's no more reason to kill you."

          Hannibal smiled slightly, glad to hear that.

          "I hope this score stays that way." - Hannibal said.

          "Me too."

          Hannibal soon left the room to take the plastics to another place. Meanwhile, Will walked a few steps, looking at the furniture, imagining Abigail playing the piano, and Hannibal teaching her... he imagined Abigail helping Hannibal prepare dinner... imagined them fetching firewood in the woods around the house to light the fire in the late afternoon... It was like a vacation home... to spend with family. When Will realized, he was smiling all alone for these pictures in his head. He approached the piano and touched a keyboard. What would it have been like if he had run off with Hannibal that night? They would probably be there. Living the three of them in that house. Will felt slightly remorseful at that moment.

          "Abigail liked to play." - Hannibal said, returning to the room after a few minutes, talking about the piano. He had changed his clothes. Will soon looked at him. - "She liked to play Chopin and Beethoven. It was wonderful to hear."

          "Did you teach her?"

          "Yes. But mostly, she had the talent."

          "I would have liked to hear that." - Will said, looking back at the piano.

          There was a brief silence between them at that moment. As if they were both thinking about the same thing... as if both were mourning inwardly at the end of Abigail. But such thoughts were soon stopped.

         "You said you brought Miriam Lass here too..." - Will began, thoughtfully. Hannibal just stared at him. - "What did you do to her?" - He asked, looking back at Hannibal.

         "I did what I had to do, Will. I kept her here comfortably for two years. The two years that Jack believed she was dead. I taught her many things as she taught me."

         "Did she kill anyone?" - Will asked, frowning, since he knew of Hannibal's tendency to induce someone to kill.

         Hannibal just looked at Will. He didn't say anything for a moment, but then he answered.

         "No. The circumstances had changed and I had to take action."

         "Like what you did to me when you tucked Abigail's ear into me?" - Will asked wryly, a little irritated by that fact.

         "Something like that."

         " _Something like that..._ " - Will repeated, looking into Hannibal's eyes. - "You messed with her head, Hannibal. She doesn't remember you at all... and she almost killed an innocent man because of that."

         "You almost killed this same man." - Hannibal pointed out immediately, amused. - "And it wasn't because of my _unorthodox therapy_ on you."

         Will sighed, knowing what Hannibal was accusing him of.

         "I didn't almost kill him... The Dragon did. Well... almost did."

         "Indirectly you almost did. And I hope that changes tonight."

         Will soon felt a throb in his heart at that moment, as if a slight anxiety took hold of him at that moment. He took a deep breath and looked outside.

         "You intended to do this to me, too? Brainwashing me when it was convenient for you?" - Will continued, turning to look at Hannibal. - "To have made me forget you?" - He said it feeling a slight bittersweet bump on his heart.

         "I would never have done this to Miriam if it weren't strictly necessary... The circumstances guided to this. So I would never do this to you too..." - Hannibal paused briefly, and looked Will's face from his chin to his forehead, admiring him for a few seconds. Then he looked him in the eye again. - "Actually, I would never make you forget me even if it was strictly necessary. You're different, Will."

         "How different?" - Will knew he was unique and how he intrigued Hannibal by this... but Miriam was unique too... like Abigail... Bedelia... they were all unique in some way. Maybe it was because Will was the only one able to really see Hannibal... but at that moment it seemed there was something else... and Will certainly wanted to know what it was.

         Hannibal stood there for a while, just watching Will, with a calmer, more loving look.

         "If for years I've been unconsciously looking for a replacement for Mischa in all those who needed to be changed... in the coming years, if fate won't allow us to be together... it will be you who I'll look for in all of them, Will."

         Hannibal no longer needed to hide behind a mask... everyone knew what he was, especially Will, and, being sincere at that moment with his own feelings and confess them naked to Will like that... it indicated how much Will was important to him. Actually more than important... just like Mischa, Will was his _family_. And it was probably the first time this had happened to Hannibal, to let someone enter into his life and become special to him.

         Will only took a deep breath after hearing that. His heart began to pound heavily inside his chest, causing a warmth to emerge from within and spread through his body. He felt his face flush slightly and soon felt forced to look away. At that moment, Will remembered what Bedelia said to him... _Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for you and find nourishment in the very sight of you? Yes. But do you ache for him?_ Will looked back at Hannibal. They stared at each other for a brief time, as if everything they had already passed was going through their minds at that moment, reminding them of how conjoined they were. Both left their masks aside at that moment. They let the pain shine through each other... recording the image of each other in their minds... since they didn't know if they would survive that night.

         "It's going to be dark soon." - Will finally said.

         "Yes. Would you help me light the fireplace?" - Hannibal asked.

         "Sure."

         They both went outside to get firewood. There were already some logs duly cut at the edge of the cliff, but Hannibal said they'd better get some more wood. Will didn't question, he soon realized that Hannibal wanted to show him something, so he just followed him into the woods.

         "What are _your_ plans for when it's over, Will?" - Hannibal asked as they walked.

         Will thought about the answer for a while, looking around at the trees.

         "There are many scenarios and possibilities in my head but... I feel like none of them will happen."

         "Can you tell me one?" - Hannibal asked curiously, looking at Will at his side.

         Will sighed.

         "Going back home with Molly and Walter. I feel like... I won't be able to come back after that."

         Will didn't have to look at Hannibal to know that he had been rather amused by it.

         "Where would you go then?"

         "Somewhere no one could find me."

         "Would you run away then?"

         "I wouldn't be running away... I just..." - Will sighed and finally looked at Hannibal. - "I just want it all to end."

         Hannibal stopped, and stood looking at Will. Will stopped as well, also staring at Hannibal.

         Will was tired. Tired of this vicious cycle. Jack, Hannibal, Will. Jack Hannibal, Will. It was always the three of them running around in circles. He wanted to break this cycle, he wanted to get rid of this endless pursuit.

         "Tonight you can end all of this, Will." - Hannibal said, turning to Will, taking a step closer. - "Kill the Dragon and free yourself."

         Will kept staring at Hannibal for a while, thinking of what he said. There were many things not said there.

         "I can't do it without you." - Will said, turning to face Hannibal. Now they both were toe to toe.

         Hannibal closed the distance between them and stroked the profiler's face with one of his hands affectionately. Will wasn't expecting it, but he stood there. He closed his eyes right after and automatically leaned to the touch. In the touch of the one who ruined his life... but that also brought meaning to it. That made Will calm down at once, as if Hannibal knew of the anxiety he was feeling at that moment.

         "I'm here for you and with you, Will, do not forget that." - Hannibal said in a calm, tender voice, then brought his mouth to Will's forehead, kissing it gently, closing his eyes.

         That was unexpected and made Will open his eyes and gasp once, he felt his heart pounding once more, and this time it was stronger, like a drum. Hannibal turned away and stroked Will's face one last time and walked away, and continued to walk. Will stayed there for a while, still processing that. His face was flushed and his heart pounding. Will could still feel the soft touch of Hannibal's soft, warm lips on his forehead. Surely there was more meaning in that kiss than it seemed... It was affectionate, lovingly, kind, but also a little sad... It was almost as a guarantee of goodbye if they didn't survive. That was more than enough to confirm what Bedelia had told him... about how much Hannibal Lecter was _in love_ with him. But what about Will himself?

         Will soon returned to himself and saw Hannibal waiting for him, he soon followed him.

         "Where are we going?" - Will asked curiously, following Hannibal.

         "I'm just checking if that's still there." - Said Hannibal, walking again, heading towards the cliff behind the house.

         "Still there... what?" - Will asked confused, standing next to Hannibal.

         "That." - Hannibal pointed down at the sea near the stones. Will soon looked down. There was a boat anchored there. It was not very big, but certainly of a high standard.

         "A boat?"

         "Yes. I never had to use it... but maybe it will change tonight."

         Will looked at Hannibal for a moment. He wondered what other tricks Hannibal had in his sleeves. He certainly must have prepared several alternatives to escape, before even meeting Will.

         "How do you get there?" - Will asked, curious.

         "There's a way through the rocks. Come on, I'll show you." - Hannibal soon started to walk again, Will soon followed.

         They entered the forest, skirting the island, and then Hannibal stopped in front of a clump of rocks. Will stopped beside him. There seemed to be nothing special about them, but then Hannibal removed one of the small stones and eventually revealed a steep path, like a long stone stairway that descended to the end of the cliff. Will was surprised by that. Hannibal looked amused at Will and walked back down the stairs.

         "This is kind of dangerous..." - Will said as he walked down that makeshift ladder, trying to stay as far away from the edge as possible. The width of each step was very small, a little more than 40cm, and many of them didn't have a regular shape, which made it difficult to descend.

         "You just have to be careful." - Hannibal said in front.

         "Why are you showing this to me?"

         "You told me about Jack intending to kill me. So I'm just returning the courtesy."

         It wasn't just because of that, and Will knew that. Hannibal would have showed him in anyway.

         After a few minutes they finally reached the end of the cliff. Hannibal jumped into the boat and reached out to help Will. Will held onto Hannibal's hand and jumped toward the boat. However he miscalculated the distance and ended up taking a jump a little shorter than he should, and his foot stepped right on the edge of the boat, making most of his body stand out, making the weight of his body pull him to out of the boat. When he thought he was going to fall, Hannibal grabbed him and pulled him inside. They both fell on the floor of the boat.

         "Oh God!" - Will said breathlessly, his heart racing as he almost fell into that rough sea.

         "Are you alright?"

         "Yes, I uh-" - At that moment, Will looked back at Hannibal and realized that he was lying on top of him, their abdomens and hips touching, their faces extremely close to each other. As if it was an involuntary reaction, Hannibal let out a sigh and brought his eyes to Will's mouth, and his hand that was on top of Will's lower back moved lightly as if to caress the younger man's body. Will felt shivers behind his neck at that moment, and he felt his face blush violently as he knew what Hannibal was feeling at that moment. Hannibal soon seemed to realize what he had just done, then looked back into Will's eyes and took his hand away from his back. Graham blinked a few times, coming back to himself, and pulled away at once, standing up, taking a deep breath. He then reached out to help Hannibal to his feet. The former psychiatrist gave a low sigh, returning to his composure, took Will's hand and stood up.

         "I-I thought I was going to die..." - Will said, laughing, trying to disguise the embarrassment he was feeling for the brief moment of intimacy they had just shared. That made Will intrigued, the fact that he aroused such a reaction in the ever-so-controlled-Hannibal. Will only took a deep breath.

         "You wouldn't die from this height." - Hannibal said, also taking a deep breath, returning to his usual composure. - "You could still survive even if you fell from above." - Hannibal looked up at the top of the cliff. Will looked at the same. - "If you don't hit the rocks, of course."

         Hannibal and Will soon walked to the railing and got into the boat. Hannibal showed the place. He had even booked a place for Abigail on that boat.

         "I brought Abigail here for her to decorate this space as she liked..." - Hannibal said, looking at the bed attached to the wall, where there was a bed set with pastel flowers. There were books on the bedside shelves that Abigail liked to read... there were some handmade wooden animal ornaments that Abigail liked too. Will felt a tightness in his heart, wishing Abigail was there.

         "This space looks like her..." - Will said.

         "There's a place for you too."

         Will looked at Hannibal again, curious and surprised. Lecter smiled and then showed him the room. The decor reminded him of his house in Wolf Trap, rustic yet cozy, without breaking the standard of the whole boat's design.

         "This is amazing." - Will said, looking around, not quite sure what to say. Hannibal really was engaged in the future that he idealized for them three... but that never happened.

         "Maybe, in another world, the three of us are sailing the sea... going home." - Hannibal said, staring out the window at the sea.

         Will looked back at Hannibal.

         "And where home would be?"

         Hannibal smiled and looked at Will again.

         "A place where no one can find us."

         Will smiled at the answer.

         Hannibal looked outside and saw the dark sky.

         "It's already dark..." - He said, looking back at Will. - "We'd better go back."

         "Yes." - Will took a deep breath, looking out, feeling the anxiety take over again.

         "Will..."

         The profiler looked back at Hannibal.

         "You're not alone." - He said.

         Will felt slightly grateful for the reminder. Hannibal was right... he wasn't alone in that... Hannibal was there with him, to defeat the Dragon... to defeat the Dragon together. He nodded and smiled. Hannibal smiled back. Both soon jumped into the stones again and returned to the house bringing the firewood to the fireplace... and to wait for the Great Red Dragon.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

 

-x-

 

         Will soon managed to swim to the boat, he took the rope that was stuck in the rocks to keep the boat stuck and used it to tie Hannibal. Once tied, Will quickly climbed the rocks and jumped into the boat, where he pulled Hannibal by the rope, bringing him into the boat. Will untied him quickly and immediately began to do cardiac massage, pressing both hands on the breastplate of the former doctor.

         "Come on..."

         Without a second thought, Will closed Hannibal's nostrils, pressed them with his fingers and pressed his lips against the former doctor like a kiss, and then blew the air from his lungs to Hannibal's. He then went back to doing heart massage. Will repeated the ritual over and over again... but Hannibal continued without reaction.

         "Please... wake up..." - Will whispered as he tried desperately to save the life of the one who ruined his own. - "Don't leave me, Hannibal... I need you... please..." - Tears began to fall from his eyes without even realizing as he continued to press his chest repetitively. He bowed again and mouth-to-mouth again. At that moment Will closed his eyes, and soon that question came to his mind... _But do you ache for him?_ Will opened his eyes and pressed his hands to his chest again, persisting to save him.

         "Yes... I ache for you... I..." - Will approached his face again, resting his forehead on Hannibal's. - " _I love you..._ I love you, Hannibal..." - He whispered, letting the tears of his eyes fall on Hannibal's face, realizing how important Hannibal was to him as he was to Hannibal... of how Hannibal was also his family. - "So please... wake up..." - Will _kissed_ Hannibal again, closing his eyes, and blew all his air... all his soul... to save the life of the one who took his own.

         Will opened his eyes and pushed his face away to press his hands on Hannibal's breastplate again but before he could do it, like a spasm, Hannibal moved his chest and then spatted gallons of water through his mouth. He began coughing uninterruptedly, wiping his lungs out of the salt water. Will stood there for a while, gaping, puzzled to see Hannibal coming back to life...

         "Cough cough!" - Hannibal coughed and breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath.

         Will soon came to himself, and knelt beside him quickly and helped Hannibal to sit down, holding his shoulder to one side as a half-embrace as his other hand rested on his chest.

         "Just breathe..." - Will said, realizing at that moment that Hannibal, despite being considered an inhuman creature by many, in the end, he was just a man made of flesh and bones... as fragile as everyone else. And seeing him in such a vulnerable way, made Will feel a slight desire to protect him somehow... even if it was _Hannibal_.

         Hannibal soon stabilized his breathing. He closed his eyes and continued to breathe through his mouth, panting, but calmer. Will stood there beside him, holding him.

         "You tried to kill us..." - Hannibal said, his voice hoarse and weak.

         "I tried to _save_ us." - Will corrected. - "Dying was the only way out."

         It was ironic the fact that death was the only way out for them at that time, since earlier that day they had talked about how they had overcome that fact.

         "We can literally say that we have overcome death now..." - Hannibal said, gasping, opening his eyes, looking at Will's, with a faint smile on his face.

         Will chuckled lightly.

         "If even death could not stop us... nothing will."

         Hannibal's smile widened, as did Will's. As an affectionate act, Will placed the hand that was on Hannibal's shoulder to his nape, and brought him closer, until their foreheads touched. Both were gasping and smiling, looking at each other, realizing that at that moment... they were together. _Really_ together.

 

-x-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Leave kudos and comment, please, if you like! They are very important to me! <3


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